During most of his 40–plus–year career, Marques Haynes, one of the world‘s finest ballhandlers, flashed his style on court with both the Harlem Globetrotters (from 1947–53 and 1972–79) and the Magicians (from 1953–72 and 1983–92). Haynes started as a collegiate star at Langston University (1942–46) where he was a four-time All–State, All–Conference, and team MVP selection. He led Langston in scoring all four years and led the University to a 112–3 record, a mark that included a 59–game winning streak. With the Globetrotters and the Magicians, Haynes became an internationally famous athlete and basketball entertainer. Haynes played in more than 12,000 games, traveled more than four million miles, and captivated fans in 97 countries around the globe. His dribbling style confused and confounded opponents and became one of the Globetrotters‘ most potent offensive weapons.
The Legendary Harlem Globetrotter Marques Haynes passed away in Plano, Texas, on May 22, 2015, at the age of 89.“ The game of basketball has lost one of its most iconic figures,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider on the day of Haynes‘ passing. “Marques was a pioneer, helping pave the way for people of all races to have opportunities to play basketball and for the sport to explode on a global scale. His unique and groundbreaking style of play set the tone for modern basketball as we know it; anyone involved with basketball worldwide is indebted to Marques. He was the consummate Globetrotter.”
In 1998, Haynes became the first player ever to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a Globetrotter. He has been enshrined into a total of six Halls of Fame, including NAIA (1985), Jim Thorpe (1993) and Langston University (1995). On Dec. 8, 2007, Langston University honored Haynes by dedicating its basketball court as “Marques Haynes Court.”
Haynes received a Globetrotters “Legends” Ring and had his jersey (#20) retired as part of a 75th Anniversary black tie charity fund–raiser on Jan. 5, 2001, at Chicago's Fairmont Hotel.
For more information about Marques Haynes, visit his Sports Profiles Legend website: www.sportsprofilesusalegend-marqueshaynes.com.